Baccalaureate Service held for MHS Grads

The graduates at Thursday’s Baccalaureate Service. Photo courtesy of St. Mary Church.

Last Thursday evening, the Manchester High School Baccalaureate Service was held. Each year it is hosted by a different Manchester-area church. This year the service took place at St. Mary Catholic Church. A representative from St. Mary explained, “The Baccalaureate Service is a religious service organized by area clergy to occur just before graduation and to which graduating Manchester High School seniors are invited as an opportunity for those attending to reflect on the significance, by the grace of God, of their graduation and transition to college or the workplace.”

Deacon Dennis Walters of St. Mary gave the welcome. The local clergy were represented by Fr. Bosco Padamattummal, Rev. Peter Harris, Rev. Aaron Kesson, Rev. Dr. David Williams, Rev. Tina Zimmerman, Rev. Kathy Tubman and Rev. David Bucholtz. Manchester High School principal, Dr. Kevin Mowrer spoke. Student, Ally Crouch, gave a reading from C.S. Lewis’s The Weight of Glory. The ensemble of Austin Wilson, Triston Chandler, Nathan Hicken, Logan Fookes, and Zach Rauch performed the student presentation. The musical prelude was performed by the St. Mary musical director, Benjamin Dahl.

Photo courtesy of St. Mary Church.

Student presentation. Photo courtesy of St. Mary Church.

Students and families pray with clergy. Photo courtesy of St. Mary Church.

The graduates outside St. Mary Church. Photo courtesy of St. Mary Church.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.